Name: ____________________Date: ____________
The Black Thing
Beth is in bed.
A black, black thing!
The thing is on the wall.
Beth lifts a hand.
The thing lifts a hand!
Beth is glad, glad, glad.
“It is my hand!” said Beth.
In bed, Beth lifts a hand.
It is a frog!
A frog on the wall!
Hop, frog, hop!
Questions
1. What is on the wall?
- A frog
- A black thing
- A fan
2. What does the thing do?
- Hops away
- Yells
- Lifts a hand
3. Whose hand is it?
- Beth's
- Dad's
- Chip's
4. Why is Beth glad?
- She is scared
- She sees it is her own hand
- She is mad
Words to know
- thing: something you can not name
- lifts: holds up
- frog: a hopping pond pet
- glad: happy
Answer key: The Black Thing
- B. A black thing
- C. Lifts a hand
- A. Beth's
- B. She sees it is her own hand
For the teacher: how this passage is levelled
“The Black Thing” is a reading level 2 story. Every Peabody story at this level is written and checked to keep sentences to 6 words or fewer, to aim at an average of 4 words a sentence, and to show 1 to 6 words on a screen. At most 6% of its words may be off the familiar-word list. Readers reach this level by climbing, not by grade.
| This passage | 52 words, 11 screens, 4 multiple-choice questions with an answer key, and 4 vocabulary words with kid-sized meanings |
|---|---|
| Longest sentence at this level | 6 words |
| Words on a screen | 1 to 6 |
| Skills practised at this level | first sounds, rhymes |
Reading level 2: the limits, a real sample and the free games. Peabody is a learning app, not an assessment: use the questions to talk about the story, not to grade a child.